A Possible Return to Engagements for Kate & The High Profile McQueen Wedding Gown That Wasn’t

We are back with a few updates, beginning with word that the hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) Kate is dealing with during her second pregnancy may be easing somewhat, at least enough to consider fulfilling engagements again. That is according to a story by Daily Mail royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, the piece was in the Sunday Mail.

According to Royal aides, the Duchess is planning to resume official engagements next month, with a spokesman telling The Mail on Sunday: ‘There will be engagements in October and November. We just haven’t announced them yet.’

All Images SplashNews.com

Every pregnancy is different and there’s no reason to believe Kate’s schedule this fall will echo what happened when she was expecting George.  As serious as HG is, I don’t think anyone can positively predict what’s ahead for the Duchess.

An update on the tidbit we posted Thursday about the possibility of seeing another high-profile wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The rumor was that Amal Alamuddin would be wearing Alexander McQueen for her wedding to George Clooney on Saturday, but Women’s Wear Daily reports Ms. Alamuddin did not wear McQueen. From that WWD coverage:

Clooney’s camp…also told WWD that Alamuddin married the actor in an Oscar de la Renta gown on Saturday night.

There have been no photos released yet from Saturday’s ceremony, a rather remarkable accomplishment in this day and age. While the chatter was that Vogue paid a stupendous amount of money for the right to photos from Saturday’s ceremony, Women’s Wear Daily says it is actually People who will be publishing the pictures. More on how the issue of cameras and photos was handled at Saturday’s ceremony from TVNZ:

Guests were reportedly banned from bringing their mobile phones to the wedding in a bid to prevent unauthorised pictures being leaked. TMZ claims guests were given a specially made camera and code so that images could be monitored.

It’s understood that US Vogue has secured the rights to the wedding pictures, with editor Anna Wintour in attendance at the wedding. The couple is believed to be donating the fee they receive to a charity of their choice.

The bride did wear an Alexander McQueen gown to the Friday night festivities, when the men and women split into separate parties for the evening.

Splash News and Pictures

The red and black gown is a custom piece. In this photo you can better see the hi-low hemline and train.

Splash News

Sunday the human rights lawyer wore another dress with a hi-low hemline, this one by a designer your trusty correspondent is fond of, Giambattista Valli. The dress was crafted of creamy white lace, carrying the wedding theme to the entire weekend wardrobe.

Polaris Images

It is a design from the spring/summer 2014 haute couture collection. More on that collection from Vogue Italy:

…the haute couture collection designed by Valli was conceived for the jeunes filles, French or not French, and for all those it-girls who are not afraid to dare and stand out and can afford dreamlike outfits.

Here is a closer look at the dress and embellishment.

Polaris Images

From a Giambattista Valli marketing perspective, the timing could not have been better: Mr. Valli showed his spring 2015 collection in Paris today. For those interested in ready-to-wear pieces from the designer, the brand is carried in upscale stores and online at multi-brand luxury sites like Farfetch, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter.

For today’s civil ceremony the bride wore Stella McCartney, a bespoke two-piece pantsuit. As it turns out, Ms. McCartney’s Paris runway show also took place today.

SplashNews.com

NOTE: Have no fear that WKW is morphing into WAW. Once we raised the McQueen dress issue I thought it important to follow up on the rumor; showing the other styles worn by Ms. Alamuddin this weekend seemed to make sense.

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Also today, we want to introduce you to our newest sponsor, Milli Millu, a luxury handbag line launched by Mireia Llusia-Lindh, a British entrepreneur. Below, the label’s fall Milan bags.

Milli Millu

Milli Millu has quickly become popular among fashion style-setters and celebrities. At the US Open this August Andy Murray’s longtime girlfriend Kim Sears carried both the Luxembourg and Zurich styles.

Milli Millu

The brand has also become popular with Nicole Scherzinger, Pippa Middleton and others; I would expect to see more A-listers carrying Milli Millu as the label continues its rapid growth trajectory. Below, the Florence style in dark green as well as deep taupe.

Milli Millu

Mereia was born in Barcelona and she holds a Harvard MBA, but my guess is it’s pure instinct and style savvy that influenced one of the things I like best about the bags, the interior. Hidden inside the elegant exteriors handcrafted by artisans in the south of Spain are compartments for one’s phone, netbook or laptop, papers, and more.

MilliMillu.com

As someone who occasionally (cough-cough) struggles with organization, this is an enormous asset in a handbag.

If looking for a little sizzle, the Kyoto in crackled bronze leather is an option (L), while the Oslo offers an elegant low-key look.

Milli Millu

The company just launched its small leather goods collection.

Milli Millu

From top to bottom we show the Notting Hill makeup bag in berry, Tribeca card holder in black and Kensington wallet in azure.

Milli Millu

Perhaps my favorite element of the Milli Millu story is its commitment to doing good while doing business. As part of “A Bag, A Life,” Milli Millu pays for a set of lifesaving vaccines and treatments for a child in need. The company has partnered with SOS Children’s Villages to make this happen.

Milli Millu

More from Meriea about this commitment.

A Bag, A Life is a permanent initiative that is very close to my heart and part of Milli Millu’s DNA as much as our aim to create beautiful yet attainable products and to cherish all the smart and very special women around the world.

As a mother, aunt and godmother, I struggle to come to terms with the endless void that the loss of a child creates. Some of us are incredibly lucky to have been born or raised in countries where we get the best available medical care. Millions of children don’t have the same luck and are dying from preventable diseases at a terrifying rate.

There is great news for those who are thinking about popping over to the Milli Millu site to look at things more closely: WKW readers have been given a 10% discount on any purchases. Use promo code WKW10 at checkout to ensure the savings. Here are more specifics about the company’s policies related to shipping, returns, etc.

• Shipping is free in the UK and Spain
• For US shoppers: “As your order will be shipped outside the EU, VAT tax of 20% will be automatically discounted at check-out. Shipping via courier is a flat fee of £19 and orders typically take 1-3 working days once the item has been dispatched.”
• The return policy worldwide: “If you are not 100% happy with your purchase, we also offer a 28 day refund or exchange policy with a FREE returns service. We will organise the collection for you and our courier will pick up the goods you wish to return, so there’s no hassle involved!”

Additional shipping and return info may be seen here. Milli Millu isn’t only online, the company has a store on Buckingham Palace Road in Belgravia. In addition to the Milli Millu website you can follow the brand on Facebook, see its Twitter feed here and visit the blog. (The latter is robust and filled with original content, including interviews with other female entrepreneurs, and well worth a visit.)

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Speaking of sponsors, our friends at Beulah London tell me the first pieces from the autumn/winter 2014 collection have landed in store and online. Included in this first group: the Veil Dip Hem skirt in navy silk dupioni, as well as the Radiance silk tee in both black/bright white lights (C) and rose smoke (R).

Beulah London

Well be back in a few days with more updates.

LINKAGE:

• you can read the entire Katie Nicholl story in the Daily Mail, by clicking here
• to see the entire Giambattista Valli spring 2014 haute couture collection click here
• if interested in Mr. Valli’s spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection shown in Paris today, Style.com has the photos here
• the Stella McCartney spring 2015 collection may be seen at Run The World here 
• HER (Hyperemesis Education and Research) has a wealth of information and links about Kate’s illness